Compensation includes topics in regard to wage and/or salary programs and structures, for example, salary ranges for job descriptions, merit-based programs, bonus-based programs, commission-based programs, etc.
Compensation can refer to:
Financial compensation
Remuneration, such as a wage or salary to pay people for their work
Executive compensation
Deferred compensation
Damages - legal term referring to the financial compensation recoverable by reason of another's breach of duty; the money paid or awarded to a plaintiff
Workers' compensation, to protect employees who have incurred work-related injuries. Example is the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.
Nationalization compensation, compensation paid in the event of nationalization of property
Defence mechanism, as in psychology
Compensation (psychology)
Compensation (engineering)
Compensation (chess), various advantages a player has in exchange for a disadvantage
Biological compensation, the characteristic pattern of bending of the plant or mushroom stem after turning from the normal vertical position.
Employee benefits typically refers to retirement plans, health life insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, vacation, employee stock ownership plans, etc. Benefits are increasingly expensive for businesses to provide to employees, so the range and options of benefits are changing rapidly to include, for example, flexible benefit plans.
Compensation management
Human Resource is the most vital resource for any organization. It is responsible for each and every decision taken, each and every work done and each and every result. Employees should be managed properly and motivated by providing best remuneration and compensation as per the industry standards. The lucrative compensation will also serve the need for attracting and retaining the best employees.
Compensation is the remuneration received by an employee in return for his/her contribution to the organization. It is an organized practice that involves balancing the work-employee relation by providing monetary and non-monetary benefits to employees.
Compensation is an integral part of human resource management which helps in motivating the employees and improving organizational effectiveness.
Components of Compensation System
Compensation systems are designed keeping in minds the strategic goals and business objectives. Compensation system is designed on the basis of certain factors after analyzing the job work and responsibilities.
Components of a compensation system are as follows:
Types of Compensation
Compensation provided to employees can direct in the form of monetary benefits and/or indirect in the form of non-monetary benefits known as perks, time off, etc. Compensation does not include only salary but it is the sum total of all rewards and allowances provided to the employees in return for their services. If the compensation offered is effectively managed, it contributes to high organizational productivity.
Direct Compensation
Indirect Compensation
Need of Compensation Management
A good compensation package is important to motivate the employees to increase the organizational productivity.
Unless compensation is provided no one will come and work for the organization. Thus, compensation helps in running an organization effectively and accomplishing its goals.
Salary is just a part of the compensation system, the employees have other psychological and self-actualization needs to fulfill. Thus, compensation serves the purpose.
The most competitive compensation will help the organization to attract and sustain the best talent. The compensation package should be as per industry standards.
Strategic Compensation
Strategic compensation is determining and providing the compensation packages to the employees that are aligned with the business goals and objectives. In today’s competitive scenario organizations have to take special measures regarding compensation of the employees so that the organizations retain the valuable employees. The compensation systems have changed from traditional ones to strategic compensation systems.
Compensation and Reward system
Compensation and Reward system plays vital role in a business organization. Since, among four Ms, i.e. Men, Material, Machine and Money, Men has been most important factor, it is impossible to imagine a business process without Men. Every factor contributes to the process of production/business. It expects return from the business process such as rent is the return expected by the landlord, capitalist expects interest and organizer i.e. entrepreneur expects profits. Similarly the labour expects wages from the process.
Labour plays vital role in bringing about the process of production/business in motion. The other factors being human, has expectations, emotions, ambitions and egos.
Labour therefore expects to have fair share in the business/production process. Therefore a fair compensation system is a must for every business organization.
The fair compensation system will help in the following:
An ideal compensation system will have positive impact on the efficiency and results produced by employees. It will encourage the employees to perform better and achieve the standards fixed.
It will enhance the process of job evaluation. It will also help in setting up an ideal job evaluation and the set standards would be more realistic and achievable.
Such a system should be well defined and uniform. It will be apply to all the levels of the organization as a general system.
The system should be simple and flexible so that every employee would be able to compute his own compensation receivable.
It should be easy to implement, should not result in exploitation of workers.
It will raise the morale, efficiency and cooperation among the workers. It, being just and fair would provide satisfaction to the workers.
Such system would help management in complying with the various labor acts.
Such system should also solve disputes between the employee union and management.
The system should follow the management principle of equal pay.
It should motivate and encouragement those who perform better and should provide opportunities for those who wish to excel.
Sound Compensation/Reward System brings peace in the relationship of employer and employees.
It aims at creating a healthy competition among them and encourages employees to work hard and efficiently.
The system provides growth and advancement opportunities to the deserving employees.
The perfect compensation system provides platform for happy and satisfied workforce. This minimizes the labour turnover. The organization enjoys the stability.
The organization is able to retain the best talent by providing them adequate compensation thereby stopping them from switching over to another job.
The business organization can think of expansion and growth if it has the support of skillful, talented and happy workforce.
refer
The sound compensation system is hallmark of organization’s success and prosperity. The success and stability of organization is measured with pay-package it provides to its employees.
Types of compensation
Direct compensation
Direct compensation refers to monetary benefits offered and provided to employees in return of the services they provide to the organization. The monetary benefits include basic salary, house rent allowance, conveyance, leave travel allowance, medical reimbursements, special allowances, bonus, Pf/Gratuity, etc. They are given at a regular interval at a definite time.
Basic Salary
Salary is the amount received by the employee in lieu of the work done by him/her for a certain period say a day, a week, a month, etc. It is the money an employee receives from his/her employer by rendering his/her services.
House Rent Allowance
Organizations either provide accommodations to its employees who are from different state or country or they provide house rent allowances to its employees. This is done to provide them social security and motivate them to work.
Conveyance
Organizations provide for cab facilities to their employees. Few organizations also provide vehicles and petrol allowances to their employees to motivate them.
Leave Travel Allowance
These allowances are provided to retain the best talent in the organization. The employees are given allowances to visit any place they wish with their families. The allowances are scaled as per the position of employee in the organization.
Medical Reimbursement
Organizations also look after the health conditions of their employees. The employees are provided with medi-claims for them and their family members. These medi-claims include health-insurances and treatment bills reimbursements.
Bonus
Bonus is paid to the employees during festive seasons to motivate them and provide them the social security. The bonus amount usually amounts to one month’s salary of the employee.
Special Allowance
Special allowance such as overtime, mobile allowances, meals, commissions, travel expenses, reduced interest loans; insurance, club memberships, etc are provided to employees to provide them social security and motivate them which improve the organizational productivity.
Indirect compensation
Indirect compensation refers to non-monetary benefits offered and provided to employees in lieu of the services provided by them to the organization. They include Leave Policy, Overtime Policy, Car policy, Hospitalization, Insurance, Leave travel Assistance Limits, Retirement Benefits, Holiday Homes.
Leave Policy
It is the right of employee to get adequate number of leave while working with the organization. The organizations provide for paid leaves such as, casual leaves, medical leaves (sick leave), and maternity leaves, statutory pay, etc.
Overtime Policy
Employees should be provided with the adequate allowances and facilities during their overtime, if they happened to do so, such as transport facilities, overtime pay, etc.
Hospitalization
The employees should be provided allowances to get their regular check-ups, say at an interval of one year. Even their dependents should be eligible for the medi-claims that provide them emotional and social security.
Insurance
Organizations also provide for accidental insurance and life insurance for employees. This gives them the emotional security and they feel themselves valued in the organization.
Leave Travel
The employees are provided with leaves and travel allowances to go for holiday with their families. Some organizations arrange for a tour for the employees of the organization. This is usually done to make the employees stress free.
Retirement Benefits
Organizations provide for pension plans and other benefits for their employees which benefits them after they retire from the organization at the prescribed age.
Holiday Homes
Organizations provide for holiday homes and guest house for their employees at different locations. These holiday homes are usually located in hill station and other most wanted holiday spots. The organizations make sure that the employees do not face any kind of difficulties during their stay in the guest house.
Flexible Timings
Organizations provide for flexible timings to the employees who cannot come to work during normal shifts due to their personal problems and valid reasons.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Performance Appraisal
Performance appraisal, also known as employee appraisal, is a method by which the job performance of an employee is evaluated (generally in terms of quality, quantity, cost and time). Performance appraisal is a part of career development.
Performance appraisals are regular reviews of employee performance within organizations
Performance appraisal
Performance appraisal is the process of obtaining, analyzing and recording information about the relative worth of an employee. The focus of the performance appraisal is measuring and improving the actual performance of the employee and also the future potential of the employee. Its aim is to measure what an employee does.According to Flippo, a prominent personality in the field of Human resources, “performance appraisal is the systematic, periodic and an impartial rating of an employee’s excellence in the matters pertaining to his present job and his potential for a better job." Performance appraisal is a systematic way of reviewing and assessing the performance of an employee during a given period of time and planning for his future.It is a powerful tool to calibrate, refine and reward the performance of the employee. It helps to analyze his achievements and evaluate his contribution towards the achievements of the overall organizational goals.By focusing the attention on performance, performance appraisal goes to the heart of personnel management and reflects the management’s interest in the progress of the employees.
OBJECTIVES of Performance Appraisal
To review the performance of the employees over a given period of time.
To judge the gap between the actual and the desired performance.
To help the management in exercising organizational control.
Helps to strengthen the relationship and communication between superior – subordinates and management – employees.
To diagnose the strengths and weaknesses of the individuals so as to identify the training and development needs of the future.
To provide feedback to the employees regarding their past performance.
Provide information to assist in the other personal decisions in the organization.
Provide clarity of the expectations and responsibilities of the functions to be performed by the employees.
To judge the effectiveness of the other human resource functions of the organization such as recruitment, selection, training and development.
To reduce the grievances of the employees.
Generally, the aims of a performance appraisal are to:
Give feedback on performance to employees.
Identify employee training needs.
Document criteria used to allocate organizational rewards.
Form a basis for personnel decisions: salary increases, promotions, disciplinary actions, etc.
Provide the opportunity for organizational diagnosis and development.
Facilitate communication between employee and administrator.
Validate selection techniques and human resource policies to meet federal Equal Employment Opportunity requirements.
Purpose Of Performance Appraisal
Performance Appraisal is being practiced in 90% of the organisations worldwide. Self-appraisal and potential appraisal also form a part of the performance appraisal processes. Typically, Performance Appraisal is aimed at:
· To review the performance of the employees over a given period of time.
· To judge the gap between the actual and the desired performance.
· To help the management in exercising organizational control.
To diagnose the training and development needs of the future.Provide information to assist in the HR decisions like promotions, transfers etc.
Provide clarity of the expectations and responsibilities of the functions to be performed by the employees.
To judge the effectiveness of the other human resource functions of the organization such as recruitment, selection, training and development.
To reduce the grievances of the employees.
Helps to strengthen the relationship and communication between superior – subordinates and management – employees.
Common approach to assessing performance -
A common approach to assessing performance is to use a numerical or scalar rating system whereby managers are asked to score an individual against a number of objectives/attributes. In some companies, employees receive assessments from their manager, peers, subordinates and customers while also performing a self assessment. This is known as 360° appraisal.
The most popular methods that are being used as performance appraisal process are:
Management by objectives
360 degree appraisal
Behavioral Observation Scale
Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale
Management by Objectives (MBO)
It is a process of agreeing upon objectives within an organization so that management and employees agree to the objectives and understand what they are in the organization.
Essence of MBO
The essence of MBO is participative goal setting, choosing course of actions and decision making. An important part of the MBO is the measurement and the comparison of the employee’s actual performance with the standards set. Ideally, when employees themselves have been involved with the goal setting and the choosing the course of action to be followed by them, they are more likely to fulfill their responsibilities.
Unique features and advantage of MBO
The principle behind Management by Objectives (MBO) is to create empowered employees who have clarity of the roles and responsibilities expected from them, understand their objectives to be achieved and thus help in the achievement of organizational as well as personal goals.
Some of the important features and advantages of MBO are:
Motivation – Involving employees in the whole process of goal setting and increasing employee empowerment, increases employee job satisfaction and commitment.
Better communication and Coordination – Frequent reviews and interactions between superiors and subordinates helps to maintain harmonious relationships within the enterprise and also solve many problems faced during the period.
Clarity of goals – With MBO, came the concept of SMART goals i.e. goals that are:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic, and
Time bound.
The goals thus set are clear, motivating and there is a linkage between organizational goals and performance targets of the employees.
The focus is on future rather than on past. Goals and standards are set for the performance for the future with periodic reviews and feedback.
Some objectives are collective, for a whole department or the whole company, others can be individualized.
Limitations
There are several limitations to the assumptive base underlying the impact of managing by objectives, including:
1. It over-emphasizes the setting of goals over the working of a plan as a driver of outcomes.
2. It underemphasizes the importance of the environment or context in which the goals are set.
3. Companies evaluated their employees by comparing them with the "ideal" employee. Trait appraisal only looks at what employees should be, not at what they should do.
4. It did not address the importance of successfully responding to obstacles and constraints as essential to reaching a goal.
360-degree feedback
In human resources or industrial/organizational psychology, 360-degree feedback, also known as "multi-rater feedback," "multisource feedback," or "multisource assessment," is feedback that comes from all around an employee.
"360" refers to the 360 degrees in a circle, with an individual figuratively in the center of the circle. Feedback is provided by subordinates, peers, and supervisors. It also includes a self-assessment and, in some cases, feedback from external sources such as customers and suppliers or other interested stakeholders. It may be contrasted with "upward feedback," where managers are given feedback by their direct reports, or a "traditional performance appraisal," where the employees are most often reviewed only by their managers.
The results from 360-degree feedback are often used by the person receiving the feedback to plan their training and development. Results are also used by some organizations in making administrative decisions, such as pay or promotion. When this is the case, the 360 assessment is for evaluation purposes, and is sometimes called a "360-degree review." However, there is a great deal of controversy as to whether 360-degree feedback should be used exclusively for development purposes, or should be used for appraisal purposes as well. There is also contraversy regarding whether 360-degree feedback improves employee performance, and it has even been suggested that it may decrease shareholder value
Current Global Trends In Performance Appraisal Program
The performance appraisal process has become the heart of the human resource management system in the organisation. Performance appraisal defines and measures the performance of the employees and the organisation as a whole. It is a tool for accessing the performance of the organisation.The important issues and points concerning performance appraisal in the present world are:
The focus of the performance appraisals is turning towards career development relying on the dialogues and discussions with the superiors.
Performance measuring, rating and review systems have become more detailed, structured and person specific than before.
Performance related pay is being incorporated in the strategies used by the organisation.
Trend towards a 360-degree feedback system
The problems in the implementation of the performance appraisal processes are being anticipated and efforts are being made to overcome them.
In India, the performance appraisal processes are faced with a lot of obstacles, the most prominent being the lack of quantifiable indicators of the performance.
GLOBAL TRENDS
The emergence of following concepts and the following trends related to Performance appraisal can be seen in the global scenario:
360 Degree Appraisal
360 degree feedback, also known as 'multi-rater feedback', is the most comprehensive appraisal where the feedback about the employees’ performance comes from all the sources that come in contact with the employee on his job. Organisation are increasingly using feedback from various sources such as peer input, customer feedback, and input from superiors. Different forms with different formats are being used to obtain the information regarding the employee performance.
Team Performance AppraisalWith the number of teams increasing in the organisation, it becomes difficult to measure and appraise the performance of the team. The question is how to separate the performance of the team from the performance of the employees. A solution to this problem that is being adopted by the companies is to measure both the individual and the team performance. Sometimes, team based objectives are also included in the individual performance plans.
Rank and Yank Strategy Also known as the “Up or out policy”, the rank and yank strategy refers to the performance appraisal model in which best-to-worst ranking methods are used to identify and separate the poor performers from the good performers. Then the action plans and the improvement opportunities of the poor performers are discussed and they are given to improve their performance in a given time period, after which the appropriate HR decisions are taken. Some of the organisation following this strategy are Ford, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems.
Challenges Of Performance Appraisal
In order to make a performance appraisal system effective and successful, an organization comes across various challenges and problems. The main challenges involved in the performance appraisal process are:
Determining the evaluation criteriaIdentification of the appraisal criteria is one of the biggest problems faced by the top management. The performance data to be considered for evaluation should be carefully selected. For the purpose of evaluation, the criteria selected should be in quantifiable or measurable terms
Create a rating instrument The purpose of the Performance appraisal process is to judge the performance of the employees rather than the employee. The focus of the system should be on the development of the employees of the organization.
Lack of competence Top management should choose the raters or the evaluators carefully. They should have the required expertise and the knowledge to decide the criteria accurately. They should have the experience and the necessary training to carry out the appraisal process objectively.
Errors in rating and evaluation Many errors based on the personal bias like stereotyping, halo effect (i.e. one trait influencing the evaluator’s rating for all other traits) etc. may creep in the appraisal process. Therefore the rater should exercise objectivity and fairness in evaluating and rating the performance of the employees
ResistanceThe appraisal process may face resistance from the employees and the trade unions for the fear of negative ratings. Therefore, the employees should be communicated and clearly explained the purpose as well the process of appraisal. The standards should be clearly communicated and every employee should be made aware that what exactly is expected from him/her.
Performance appraisals are regular reviews of employee performance within organizations
Performance appraisal
Performance appraisal is the process of obtaining, analyzing and recording information about the relative worth of an employee. The focus of the performance appraisal is measuring and improving the actual performance of the employee and also the future potential of the employee. Its aim is to measure what an employee does.According to Flippo, a prominent personality in the field of Human resources, “performance appraisal is the systematic, periodic and an impartial rating of an employee’s excellence in the matters pertaining to his present job and his potential for a better job." Performance appraisal is a systematic way of reviewing and assessing the performance of an employee during a given period of time and planning for his future.It is a powerful tool to calibrate, refine and reward the performance of the employee. It helps to analyze his achievements and evaluate his contribution towards the achievements of the overall organizational goals.By focusing the attention on performance, performance appraisal goes to the heart of personnel management and reflects the management’s interest in the progress of the employees.
OBJECTIVES of Performance Appraisal
To review the performance of the employees over a given period of time.
To judge the gap between the actual and the desired performance.
To help the management in exercising organizational control.
Helps to strengthen the relationship and communication between superior – subordinates and management – employees.
To diagnose the strengths and weaknesses of the individuals so as to identify the training and development needs of the future.
To provide feedback to the employees regarding their past performance.
Provide information to assist in the other personal decisions in the organization.
Provide clarity of the expectations and responsibilities of the functions to be performed by the employees.
To judge the effectiveness of the other human resource functions of the organization such as recruitment, selection, training and development.
To reduce the grievances of the employees.
Generally, the aims of a performance appraisal are to:
Give feedback on performance to employees.
Identify employee training needs.
Document criteria used to allocate organizational rewards.
Form a basis for personnel decisions: salary increases, promotions, disciplinary actions, etc.
Provide the opportunity for organizational diagnosis and development.
Facilitate communication between employee and administrator.
Validate selection techniques and human resource policies to meet federal Equal Employment Opportunity requirements.
Purpose Of Performance Appraisal
Performance Appraisal is being practiced in 90% of the organisations worldwide. Self-appraisal and potential appraisal also form a part of the performance appraisal processes. Typically, Performance Appraisal is aimed at:
· To review the performance of the employees over a given period of time.
· To judge the gap between the actual and the desired performance.
· To help the management in exercising organizational control.
To diagnose the training and development needs of the future.Provide information to assist in the HR decisions like promotions, transfers etc.
Provide clarity of the expectations and responsibilities of the functions to be performed by the employees.
To judge the effectiveness of the other human resource functions of the organization such as recruitment, selection, training and development.
To reduce the grievances of the employees.
Helps to strengthen the relationship and communication between superior – subordinates and management – employees.
Common approach to assessing performance -
A common approach to assessing performance is to use a numerical or scalar rating system whereby managers are asked to score an individual against a number of objectives/attributes. In some companies, employees receive assessments from their manager, peers, subordinates and customers while also performing a self assessment. This is known as 360° appraisal.
The most popular methods that are being used as performance appraisal process are:
Management by objectives
360 degree appraisal
Behavioral Observation Scale
Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale
Management by Objectives (MBO)
It is a process of agreeing upon objectives within an organization so that management and employees agree to the objectives and understand what they are in the organization.
Essence of MBO
The essence of MBO is participative goal setting, choosing course of actions and decision making. An important part of the MBO is the measurement and the comparison of the employee’s actual performance with the standards set. Ideally, when employees themselves have been involved with the goal setting and the choosing the course of action to be followed by them, they are more likely to fulfill their responsibilities.
Unique features and advantage of MBO
The principle behind Management by Objectives (MBO) is to create empowered employees who have clarity of the roles and responsibilities expected from them, understand their objectives to be achieved and thus help in the achievement of organizational as well as personal goals.
Some of the important features and advantages of MBO are:
Motivation – Involving employees in the whole process of goal setting and increasing employee empowerment, increases employee job satisfaction and commitment.
Better communication and Coordination – Frequent reviews and interactions between superiors and subordinates helps to maintain harmonious relationships within the enterprise and also solve many problems faced during the period.
Clarity of goals – With MBO, came the concept of SMART goals i.e. goals that are:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic, and
Time bound.
The goals thus set are clear, motivating and there is a linkage between organizational goals and performance targets of the employees.
The focus is on future rather than on past. Goals and standards are set for the performance for the future with periodic reviews and feedback.
Some objectives are collective, for a whole department or the whole company, others can be individualized.
Limitations
There are several limitations to the assumptive base underlying the impact of managing by objectives, including:
1. It over-emphasizes the setting of goals over the working of a plan as a driver of outcomes.
2. It underemphasizes the importance of the environment or context in which the goals are set.
3. Companies evaluated their employees by comparing them with the "ideal" employee. Trait appraisal only looks at what employees should be, not at what they should do.
4. It did not address the importance of successfully responding to obstacles and constraints as essential to reaching a goal.
360-degree feedback
In human resources or industrial/organizational psychology, 360-degree feedback, also known as "multi-rater feedback," "multisource feedback," or "multisource assessment," is feedback that comes from all around an employee.
"360" refers to the 360 degrees in a circle, with an individual figuratively in the center of the circle. Feedback is provided by subordinates, peers, and supervisors. It also includes a self-assessment and, in some cases, feedback from external sources such as customers and suppliers or other interested stakeholders. It may be contrasted with "upward feedback," where managers are given feedback by their direct reports, or a "traditional performance appraisal," where the employees are most often reviewed only by their managers.
The results from 360-degree feedback are often used by the person receiving the feedback to plan their training and development. Results are also used by some organizations in making administrative decisions, such as pay or promotion. When this is the case, the 360 assessment is for evaluation purposes, and is sometimes called a "360-degree review." However, there is a great deal of controversy as to whether 360-degree feedback should be used exclusively for development purposes, or should be used for appraisal purposes as well. There is also contraversy regarding whether 360-degree feedback improves employee performance, and it has even been suggested that it may decrease shareholder value
Current Global Trends In Performance Appraisal Program
The performance appraisal process has become the heart of the human resource management system in the organisation. Performance appraisal defines and measures the performance of the employees and the organisation as a whole. It is a tool for accessing the performance of the organisation.The important issues and points concerning performance appraisal in the present world are:
The focus of the performance appraisals is turning towards career development relying on the dialogues and discussions with the superiors.
Performance measuring, rating and review systems have become more detailed, structured and person specific than before.
Performance related pay is being incorporated in the strategies used by the organisation.
Trend towards a 360-degree feedback system
The problems in the implementation of the performance appraisal processes are being anticipated and efforts are being made to overcome them.
In India, the performance appraisal processes are faced with a lot of obstacles, the most prominent being the lack of quantifiable indicators of the performance.
GLOBAL TRENDS
The emergence of following concepts and the following trends related to Performance appraisal can be seen in the global scenario:
360 Degree Appraisal
360 degree feedback, also known as 'multi-rater feedback', is the most comprehensive appraisal where the feedback about the employees’ performance comes from all the sources that come in contact with the employee on his job. Organisation are increasingly using feedback from various sources such as peer input, customer feedback, and input from superiors. Different forms with different formats are being used to obtain the information regarding the employee performance.
Team Performance AppraisalWith the number of teams increasing in the organisation, it becomes difficult to measure and appraise the performance of the team. The question is how to separate the performance of the team from the performance of the employees. A solution to this problem that is being adopted by the companies is to measure both the individual and the team performance. Sometimes, team based objectives are also included in the individual performance plans.
Rank and Yank Strategy Also known as the “Up or out policy”, the rank and yank strategy refers to the performance appraisal model in which best-to-worst ranking methods are used to identify and separate the poor performers from the good performers. Then the action plans and the improvement opportunities of the poor performers are discussed and they are given to improve their performance in a given time period, after which the appropriate HR decisions are taken. Some of the organisation following this strategy are Ford, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems.
Challenges Of Performance Appraisal
In order to make a performance appraisal system effective and successful, an organization comes across various challenges and problems. The main challenges involved in the performance appraisal process are:
Determining the evaluation criteriaIdentification of the appraisal criteria is one of the biggest problems faced by the top management. The performance data to be considered for evaluation should be carefully selected. For the purpose of evaluation, the criteria selected should be in quantifiable or measurable terms
Create a rating instrument The purpose of the Performance appraisal process is to judge the performance of the employees rather than the employee. The focus of the system should be on the development of the employees of the organization.
Lack of competence Top management should choose the raters or the evaluators carefully. They should have the required expertise and the knowledge to decide the criteria accurately. They should have the experience and the necessary training to carry out the appraisal process objectively.
Errors in rating and evaluation Many errors based on the personal bias like stereotyping, halo effect (i.e. one trait influencing the evaluator’s rating for all other traits) etc. may creep in the appraisal process. Therefore the rater should exercise objectivity and fairness in evaluating and rating the performance of the employees
ResistanceThe appraisal process may face resistance from the employees and the trade unions for the fear of negative ratings. Therefore, the employees should be communicated and clearly explained the purpose as well the process of appraisal. The standards should be clearly communicated and every employee should be made aware that what exactly is expected from him/her.
http://www.4shared.com/file/102778595/99f3ec10/performance_evaluation.html
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Industrial Relation
Industrial Relation
Industrial relations has become one of the most delicate and complex problems of modern industrial society. Industrial progress is impossible without cooperation of labors and harmonious relationships. Therefore, it is in the interest of all to create and maintain good relations between employees (labor) and employers (management).Concept of Industrial Relations:The term ‘Industrial Relations’ comprises of two terms: ‘Industry’ and ‘Relations’. “Industry” refers to “any productive activity in which an individual (or a group of individuals) is (are) engaged”. By “relations” we mean “the relationships that exist within the industry between the employer and his workmen.”
industrial relations looks at the relationship between management and workers, particularly groups of workers represented by a union. Industrial relations are basically the interactions between employers, employees and the government, and the institutions and associations through which such interactions are mediated.
industrial relations also includes the processes through which these relationships are expressed (such as, collective bargaining, workers’ participation in decision-making, and grievance and dispute settlement), and the management of conflict between employers, workers and trade unions, when it arises.
Actors in the IR system:
The term industrial relations explains the relationship between employees and management which stem directly or indirectly from union-employer relationship.
Three main parties are directly involved in industrial relations:
Employers:
Employers possess certain rights vis-à-vis labors. They have the right to hire and fire them. Management can also affect workers’ interests by exercising their right to relocate, close or merge the factory or to introduce technological changes.
Employees: Workers seek to improve the terms and conditions of their employment. They exchange views with management and voice their grievances. They also want to share decision making powers of management. Workers generally unite to form unions against the management and get support from these unions.
Government: The central and state government influences and regulates industrial relations through laws, rules, agreements, awards of court ad the like. It also includes third parties and labor and tribunal courts.
SCOPE:
The concept of industrial relations has a very wide meaning and connotation. In the narrow sense, it means that the employer, employee relationship confines itself to the relationship that emerges out of the day to day association of the management and the labor. In its wider sense, industrial relations include the relationship between an employee and an employer in the course of the running of an industry and may project it to spheres, which may transgress to the areas of quality control, marketing, price fixation and disposition of profits among others.
The scope of industrial relations is quite vast. The main issues involved here include the following:
Collective bargaining
Machinery for settlement of industrial disputes
Standing orders
Workers participation in management
Unfair labor practices
Labor market: The market in which workers compete for jobs and employers compete for workers. It acts as the external source from which organizations attract employees. These markets occur because different conditions characterize different geographical areas, industries, occupations, and professions at any given time.
Significance of Industrial Relation
The healthy industrial relations are key to the progress and success. Their significance may be discussed as under –
Uninterrupted production – The most important benefit of industrial relations is that this ensures continuity of production. This means, continuous employment for all from manager to workers. The resources are fully utilized, resulting in the maximum possible production. There is uninterrupted flow of income for all.
Reduction in Industrial Disputes – Good industrial relations reduce the industrial disputes. Disputes are reflections of the failure of basic human urges or motivations to secure adequate satisfaction or expression which are fully cured by good industrial relations. Strikes, lockouts, go-slow tactics, gherao and grievances are some of the reflections of industrial unrest which do not spring up in an atmosphere of industrial peace. It helps promoting co-operation and increasing production.
High morale – Good industrial relations improve the morale of the employees. Employees work with great zeal with the feeling in mind that the interest of employer and employees is one and the same, i.e. to increase production. Every worker feels that he is a co-owner of the gains of industry. In other words, complete unity of thought and action is the main achievement of industrial peace. It increases the place of workers in the society and their ego is satisfied. It naturally affects production because mighty co-operative efforts alone can produce great results.
Mental Revolution – The main object of industrial relation is a complete mental revolution of workers and employees. The industrial peace lies ultimately in a transformed outlook on the part of both. Both should think themselves as partners of the industry and the role of workers in such a partnership should be recognized. It will naturally have impact on production because they recognize the interest of each other.
Reduced Wastage – Good industrial relations are maintained on the basis of cooperation and recognition of each other. It will help increase production. Wastages of man, material and machines are reduced to the minimum and thus national interest is protected.Thus, it is evident that good industrial relations is the basis of higher production with minimum cost and higher profits. It also results in increased efficiency of workers. New and new projects may be introduced for the welfare of the workers and to promote the morale of the people at work. An economy organized for planned production and distribution, aiming at the realization of social justice and welfare of the massage can function effectively only in an atmosphere of industrial peace. If the twin objectives of rapid national development and increased social justice are to be achieved, there must be harmonious relationship between management and labor.
The main objectives of industrial relations system are:-
To safeguard the interest of labor and management by securing the highest level of mutual understanding and good-will among all those sections in the industry which participate in the process of production.
To avoid industrial conflict or strife and develop harmonious relations, which are an essential factor in the productivity of workers and the industrial progress of a country.
To raise productivity and growth to a higher level in an era of full employment by lessening the tendency to high turnover and frequency absenteeism.
To eliminate or minimize the number of strikes, lockouts and gheraos by providing reasonable wages, improved living and working conditions, said fringe benefits.
To improve the economic conditions of workers in the existing state of industrial managements and political government.
Socialization of industries by making the state itself a major employer
Vesting of a proprietary interest of the workers in the industries in which they are employed.
Industrial Relation is A Social Sub – System
One of the significant theories of industrial labor relations was put forth by John Dunlop in the 1950s. According to Dunlop industrial relations system consists of three agents – management organizations, workers and formal/informal ways they are organized and government agencies. These actors and their organizations are located within an environment – defined in terms of technology, labor and product markets, and the distribution of power in wider society as it impacts upon individuals and workplace. Within this environment, actors interact with each other, negotiate and use economic/political power in process of determining rules that constitute the output of the industrial relations system. He proposed that three parties—employers, labor unions, and government-- are the key actors in a modern industrial relations system. He also argued that none of these institutions could act in an autonomous or independent fashion. Instead they were shaped, at least to some extent, by their market, technological and political contexts.Thus it can be said that industrial relations is a social sub system subject to three environmental constraints- the markets, distribution of power in society and technology.
Dunlop's model
Dunlop's model identifies three key factors to be considered in conducting an analysis of the management-labor relationship:
1. Environmental or external economic, technological, political, legal and social forces that impact employment relationships.
2. Characteristics and interaction of the key actors in the employment relationship: labor, management, and government.
3. Rules that are derived from these interactions that govern the employment relationship.
Dunlop emphasizes the core idea of systems by saying that the arrangements in the field of industrial relations may be regarded as a system in the sense that each of them more or less intimately affects each of the others so that they constitute a group of arrangements for dealing with certain matters and are collectively responsible for certain results”.In effect - Industrial relations is the system which produces the rules of the workplace. Such rules are the product of interaction between three key “actors” – workers/unions, employers and associated organizations and governmentThe Dunlop’s model gives great significance to external or environmental forces. In other words, management, labor, and the government possess a shared ideology that defines their roles within the relationship and provides stability to the system.
Industrial relations has become one of the most delicate and complex problems of modern industrial society. Industrial progress is impossible without cooperation of labors and harmonious relationships. Therefore, it is in the interest of all to create and maintain good relations between employees (labor) and employers (management).Concept of Industrial Relations:The term ‘Industrial Relations’ comprises of two terms: ‘Industry’ and ‘Relations’. “Industry” refers to “any productive activity in which an individual (or a group of individuals) is (are) engaged”. By “relations” we mean “the relationships that exist within the industry between the employer and his workmen.”
industrial relations looks at the relationship between management and workers, particularly groups of workers represented by a union. Industrial relations are basically the interactions between employers, employees and the government, and the institutions and associations through which such interactions are mediated.
industrial relations also includes the processes through which these relationships are expressed (such as, collective bargaining, workers’ participation in decision-making, and grievance and dispute settlement), and the management of conflict between employers, workers and trade unions, when it arises.
Actors in the IR system:
The term industrial relations explains the relationship between employees and management which stem directly or indirectly from union-employer relationship.
Three main parties are directly involved in industrial relations:
Employers:
Employers possess certain rights vis-à-vis labors. They have the right to hire and fire them. Management can also affect workers’ interests by exercising their right to relocate, close or merge the factory or to introduce technological changes.
Employees: Workers seek to improve the terms and conditions of their employment. They exchange views with management and voice their grievances. They also want to share decision making powers of management. Workers generally unite to form unions against the management and get support from these unions.
Government: The central and state government influences and regulates industrial relations through laws, rules, agreements, awards of court ad the like. It also includes third parties and labor and tribunal courts.
SCOPE:
The concept of industrial relations has a very wide meaning and connotation. In the narrow sense, it means that the employer, employee relationship confines itself to the relationship that emerges out of the day to day association of the management and the labor. In its wider sense, industrial relations include the relationship between an employee and an employer in the course of the running of an industry and may project it to spheres, which may transgress to the areas of quality control, marketing, price fixation and disposition of profits among others.
The scope of industrial relations is quite vast. The main issues involved here include the following:
Collective bargaining
Machinery for settlement of industrial disputes
Standing orders
Workers participation in management
Unfair labor practices
Labor market: The market in which workers compete for jobs and employers compete for workers. It acts as the external source from which organizations attract employees. These markets occur because different conditions characterize different geographical areas, industries, occupations, and professions at any given time.
Significance of Industrial Relation
The healthy industrial relations are key to the progress and success. Their significance may be discussed as under –
Uninterrupted production – The most important benefit of industrial relations is that this ensures continuity of production. This means, continuous employment for all from manager to workers. The resources are fully utilized, resulting in the maximum possible production. There is uninterrupted flow of income for all.
Reduction in Industrial Disputes – Good industrial relations reduce the industrial disputes. Disputes are reflections of the failure of basic human urges or motivations to secure adequate satisfaction or expression which are fully cured by good industrial relations. Strikes, lockouts, go-slow tactics, gherao and grievances are some of the reflections of industrial unrest which do not spring up in an atmosphere of industrial peace. It helps promoting co-operation and increasing production.
High morale – Good industrial relations improve the morale of the employees. Employees work with great zeal with the feeling in mind that the interest of employer and employees is one and the same, i.e. to increase production. Every worker feels that he is a co-owner of the gains of industry. In other words, complete unity of thought and action is the main achievement of industrial peace. It increases the place of workers in the society and their ego is satisfied. It naturally affects production because mighty co-operative efforts alone can produce great results.
Mental Revolution – The main object of industrial relation is a complete mental revolution of workers and employees. The industrial peace lies ultimately in a transformed outlook on the part of both. Both should think themselves as partners of the industry and the role of workers in such a partnership should be recognized. It will naturally have impact on production because they recognize the interest of each other.
Reduced Wastage – Good industrial relations are maintained on the basis of cooperation and recognition of each other. It will help increase production. Wastages of man, material and machines are reduced to the minimum and thus national interest is protected.Thus, it is evident that good industrial relations is the basis of higher production with minimum cost and higher profits. It also results in increased efficiency of workers. New and new projects may be introduced for the welfare of the workers and to promote the morale of the people at work. An economy organized for planned production and distribution, aiming at the realization of social justice and welfare of the massage can function effectively only in an atmosphere of industrial peace. If the twin objectives of rapid national development and increased social justice are to be achieved, there must be harmonious relationship between management and labor.
The main objectives of industrial relations system are:-
To safeguard the interest of labor and management by securing the highest level of mutual understanding and good-will among all those sections in the industry which participate in the process of production.
To avoid industrial conflict or strife and develop harmonious relations, which are an essential factor in the productivity of workers and the industrial progress of a country.
To raise productivity and growth to a higher level in an era of full employment by lessening the tendency to high turnover and frequency absenteeism.
To eliminate or minimize the number of strikes, lockouts and gheraos by providing reasonable wages, improved living and working conditions, said fringe benefits.
To improve the economic conditions of workers in the existing state of industrial managements and political government.
Socialization of industries by making the state itself a major employer
Vesting of a proprietary interest of the workers in the industries in which they are employed.
Industrial Relation is A Social Sub – System
One of the significant theories of industrial labor relations was put forth by John Dunlop in the 1950s. According to Dunlop industrial relations system consists of three agents – management organizations, workers and formal/informal ways they are organized and government agencies. These actors and their organizations are located within an environment – defined in terms of technology, labor and product markets, and the distribution of power in wider society as it impacts upon individuals and workplace. Within this environment, actors interact with each other, negotiate and use economic/political power in process of determining rules that constitute the output of the industrial relations system. He proposed that three parties—employers, labor unions, and government-- are the key actors in a modern industrial relations system. He also argued that none of these institutions could act in an autonomous or independent fashion. Instead they were shaped, at least to some extent, by their market, technological and political contexts.Thus it can be said that industrial relations is a social sub system subject to three environmental constraints- the markets, distribution of power in society and technology.
Dunlop's model
Dunlop's model identifies three key factors to be considered in conducting an analysis of the management-labor relationship:
1. Environmental or external economic, technological, political, legal and social forces that impact employment relationships.
2. Characteristics and interaction of the key actors in the employment relationship: labor, management, and government.
3. Rules that are derived from these interactions that govern the employment relationship.
Dunlop emphasizes the core idea of systems by saying that the arrangements in the field of industrial relations may be regarded as a system in the sense that each of them more or less intimately affects each of the others so that they constitute a group of arrangements for dealing with certain matters and are collectively responsible for certain results”.In effect - Industrial relations is the system which produces the rules of the workplace. Such rules are the product of interaction between three key “actors” – workers/unions, employers and associated organizations and governmentThe Dunlop’s model gives great significance to external or environmental forces. In other words, management, labor, and the government possess a shared ideology that defines their roles within the relationship and provides stability to the system.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Human Resource Management
Human resources is an increasingly broadening term with which an organization, or other human system describes the combination of traditionally administrative personnel functions with acquisition and application of skills, knowledge and experience, Employee Relations and resource planning at various levels. The field draws upon concepts developed in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and System Theory. Human resources has at least two related interpretations depending on context. The original usage derives from political economy and economics, where it was traditionally called labor, one of four factors of production although this perspective is changing as a function of new and ongoing research into more strategic approaches at national levels [see issues of Advances in Developing Human Resources; This first usage is used more in terms of `human resources development', and can go beyond just organizations to the level of nations [1]. The more traditional usage within corporations and businesses refers to the individuals within a firm or agency, and to the portion of the organization that deals with hiring, firing, training, and other personnel issues, typically referred to as `human resources management'. This article addresses both definitions.
The objective of human resource`s' development (the `s' is important in human resource`s' in that it underscores individuality/variability) is to foster human resourcefulness through enlightened and cohesive policies in education, training, health and employment at all levels, from corporate to national (Lawrence[2] 2000) [3] Human resource management's objective, on the other hand, is to maximize the return on investment from the organization's human capital and minimize financial risk. It is the responsibility of human resource managers in a corporate context to conduct these activities in an effective, legal, fair, and consistent manner.
Human resource management serves these key functions:
Recruitment & Selection
Training and Development (People & Organization)
Performance Evaluation and Management
Promotions
Redundancy
Industrial and Employee Relations
Record keeping of all personal data.
Compensation, pensions, bonuses etc in liaison with Payroll
Confidential advice to internal 'customers' in relation to problems at work
Career development
Modern analysis emphasizes that human beings are not "commodities" or "resources", but are creative and social beings in a productive enterprise. The 2000 revision of ISO 9001 in contrast requires to identify the processes, their sequence and interaction, and to define and communicate responsibilities and authorities. In general, heavily unionized nations such as France and Germany have adopted and encouraged such job descriptions especially within trade unions. The International Labour Organization also in 2001 decided to revisit, and revise its 1975 Recommendation 150 on Human Resources Development [4]. One view of these trends is that a strong social consensus on political economy and a good social welfare system facilitates labor mobility and tends to make the entire economy more productive, as labor can develop skills and experience in various ways, and move from one enterprise to another with little controversy or difficulty in adapting. Another view is that governments should become more aware of their national role in facilitating human resources development across all sectors.
The debate regarding "human resources" versus human capital thus in many ways echoes the debate regarding natural resources versus natural capital.
An extreme version of this view is that historical inequities such as African slavery must be compensated by current developed nations, which benefited from stolen "human resources" as they were developing. This is an extremely controversial view, but it echoes the general theme of converting human capital to "human resources" and thus greatly diminishing its value to the host society, i.e. "Africa", as it is put to narrow imitative use as "labor" in the using society
WORK DIVERSITY
In the very narrow context of corporate "human resources" management, there is a contrasting pull to reflect and require workplace diversity that echoes the diversity of a global customer base. Foreign language and culture skills, ingenuity, humor, and careful listening, are examples of traits that such programs typically require. It would appear that these evidence a general shift through the human capital point of view to an acknowledgment that human beings do contribute much more to a productive enterprise than "work": they bring their character, their ethics, their creativity, their social connections, and in some cases even their pets and children, and alter the character of a workplace. The term corporate culture is used to characterize such processes at the organizational level.
DEFINITION
Workplace diversity refers to the extent to which an organization is culturally diverse. Cultural diversity includes the range of ways in which people experience a unique group identity, which includes gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnic and age. An organization’s culture tends to determine the extent to which it is culturally diverse.
MERITS
The "business case for diversity", theorizes that in a global marketplace, a company that employs a diverse workforce (both men and women, people of many generations, people from ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds etc.) is better able to understand the demographics of the marketplace it serves and is thus better equipped to thrive in that marketplace than a company that has a more limited range of employee demographics.
company that supports the diversity of its workforce can also improve employee satisfaction, productivity and retention.
This portion of the business case, often referred to as inclusion, relates to how an organization utilizes its various relevant diversities. If a workforce is diverse, but the employer takes little or no advantage of that breadth of that experience, then it cannot monetize whatever benefits background diversity might offer.
The objective of human resource`s' development (the `s' is important in human resource`s' in that it underscores individuality/variability) is to foster human resourcefulness through enlightened and cohesive policies in education, training, health and employment at all levels, from corporate to national (Lawrence[2] 2000) [3] Human resource management's objective, on the other hand, is to maximize the return on investment from the organization's human capital and minimize financial risk. It is the responsibility of human resource managers in a corporate context to conduct these activities in an effective, legal, fair, and consistent manner.
Human resource management serves these key functions:
Recruitment & Selection
Training and Development (People & Organization)
Performance Evaluation and Management
Promotions
Redundancy
Industrial and Employee Relations
Record keeping of all personal data.
Compensation, pensions, bonuses etc in liaison with Payroll
Confidential advice to internal 'customers' in relation to problems at work
Career development
Modern analysis emphasizes that human beings are not "commodities" or "resources", but are creative and social beings in a productive enterprise. The 2000 revision of ISO 9001 in contrast requires to identify the processes, their sequence and interaction, and to define and communicate responsibilities and authorities. In general, heavily unionized nations such as France and Germany have adopted and encouraged such job descriptions especially within trade unions. The International Labour Organization also in 2001 decided to revisit, and revise its 1975 Recommendation 150 on Human Resources Development [4]. One view of these trends is that a strong social consensus on political economy and a good social welfare system facilitates labor mobility and tends to make the entire economy more productive, as labor can develop skills and experience in various ways, and move from one enterprise to another with little controversy or difficulty in adapting. Another view is that governments should become more aware of their national role in facilitating human resources development across all sectors.
The debate regarding "human resources" versus human capital thus in many ways echoes the debate regarding natural resources versus natural capital.
An extreme version of this view is that historical inequities such as African slavery must be compensated by current developed nations, which benefited from stolen "human resources" as they were developing. This is an extremely controversial view, but it echoes the general theme of converting human capital to "human resources" and thus greatly diminishing its value to the host society, i.e. "Africa", as it is put to narrow imitative use as "labor" in the using society
WORK DIVERSITY
In the very narrow context of corporate "human resources" management, there is a contrasting pull to reflect and require workplace diversity that echoes the diversity of a global customer base. Foreign language and culture skills, ingenuity, humor, and careful listening, are examples of traits that such programs typically require. It would appear that these evidence a general shift through the human capital point of view to an acknowledgment that human beings do contribute much more to a productive enterprise than "work": they bring their character, their ethics, their creativity, their social connections, and in some cases even their pets and children, and alter the character of a workplace. The term corporate culture is used to characterize such processes at the organizational level.
DEFINITION
Workplace diversity refers to the extent to which an organization is culturally diverse. Cultural diversity includes the range of ways in which people experience a unique group identity, which includes gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnic and age. An organization’s culture tends to determine the extent to which it is culturally diverse.
MERITS
The "business case for diversity", theorizes that in a global marketplace, a company that employs a diverse workforce (both men and women, people of many generations, people from ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds etc.) is better able to understand the demographics of the marketplace it serves and is thus better equipped to thrive in that marketplace than a company that has a more limited range of employee demographics.
company that supports the diversity of its workforce can also improve employee satisfaction, productivity and retention.
This portion of the business case, often referred to as inclusion, relates to how an organization utilizes its various relevant diversities. If a workforce is diverse, but the employer takes little or no advantage of that breadth of that experience, then it cannot monetize whatever benefits background diversity might offer.
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